Summary

The speaker describes what werewolves were like “[i]n the old days” (Line 1): young working-class men who terrorised young women for fun. But things have changed, and now werewolves can be any gender anywhere in the world. The speaker describes the “[l]ong-legged women” (Line 17), reminiscent of cover models, filled with violence and anger. For one night, they run wild. The next day, the women go back to work with gaps in their memories. They break up with their boyfriends. While at work, they have strange and seductive dreams.

Analysis

“Update on Werewolves” begins with a single sentence that occupies a standalone first line, and acts as a thematic statement for the opening of the poem: “In the old days, all werewolves were male” (Line 1). The phrase “In the old days” directly contrasts the title’s “Update”, hinting that the poem will explore a...